Study Plans include:
- A mini set of design-oriented drawings set up for 11"x17".
- A choice between a Paper version sent by US Priority Mail or the PDF version sent via email.
- Unlimited printing with PDF's for sharing with family members.
- 6 to 9 pages of drawings depending upon the complexity of the home.
- Click here to see an example set for a 1.5 story home with daylight basement.
- Schematic site plan, floor plans (with room sizes and furniture), daylight basements if applicable, exterior elevations, a schematic section of the house to help visualize the interior, kitchen elevations and garage plans.
- A mini set of construction drawings set up for 11"x17"
- Choice of PAPER sent by US Priority Mail or PDF version sent via email. (Select PDF to print extra copies or share electronically with other building professionals.)
- 10 to 16 pages of drawings depending upon the complexity of the home.(See each house plan description for the drawings that come with each design.)
- Dimensions and construction notes.
- Click here to see an example Review Set of a 1.5 story home with daylight basement.
- A copy of the Study Plan.
- An "Opinion of Probable Construction Cost" from Sun Plans if requested. Sun Plans evaluates the design and compares it to similar home designs for which other clients have provided construction costs. A range of construction cost is provided. (This is based on national information. Sun Plans does not have statistics by state, region or country.)
- Six sets of Construction Prints on 24"x36" paper shipped via UPS ground or PDF computer files sent by email
- 10 to 16 pages of drawings depending upon the size and complexity of the home. (See individual house plan descriptions for specific drawings for each design.)
- Schematic site plan (cover sheet showing how to orient the house for passive solar gain)
- Foundation Plan (either slab-on-grade, crawlspace, below grade or daylight basement)
- First and second floor plans (many construction notes, window sizes, etc.)
- Exterior elevations (all four sides shown in hatched detail)
- Schematic Building section (cut-away through the home showing basic configuration)
- Kitchen elevations (all sides of the kitchen)
- Typical wall detail (showing the various building materials recommended)
- Schematic electrical (showing lights, switches and outlets)
- Schematic framing plans (showing floor framing, roof framing and beams)
- Garage or Carport
- Custom Energy Specs. (Read more.)
- Under the Tell Me More about the Review Set, you can see an example set of drawings; however, with Construction Prints, the plans are updated to the current in-house checklist, do not have the Not For Construction, and include the Custom Energy Specs.
- One hour of technical support with the architect by email or phone
- Order Construction Prints through the Pricing tab on any house plan.
- After an order is placed, reply to the email received to advise of the requested information Sun Plans will need to prepare the Custom Energy Specs.
- Allow 5 business days for updating the design to the Sun Plans in-house checklist and preparation of the the Custom Energy Specs. (Shipping then takes another 3-7 days.)
- With PDF's, unlimited copies of the Construction Prints can be printed locally so long as they are used for building one home. PDF's are handy for sending to builders, mortgage companies, appraisers, home energy raters, and others who may be assisting with the planning and construction of the home such as the builder's subcontractors. Some building inspection departments require PDF.
- CAD files of the Construction Drawings (see below for options)
- PDF file of the Construction Prints (see Construction Prints)
- PDF file of Custom Energy Specs
- PDF file of Copyright Release to allow the house to be modified and changed to build one house
- Under the Tell Me More about the Review Set, you can see an example set of drawings; however, with Construction Prints and CAD Files, the plans are updated to the current in-house checklist, do not have the Not For Construction, and include the Custom Energy Specs.
- One hour of technical support. This can include review by the Sun Plans' architect on proposed changes prior to preparing Custom Energy Specs. If the customer sends a list of proposed changes immediately after placing the order, the architect can review them for energy implications and try to address them in the Custom Energy Specs.
- Order CAD files through the Pricing tab on any house plan.
- After an order is placed, reply to the email received to advise of the requested information Sun Plans will need to prepare the Custom Energy Specs.
- Allow 5 business days for to allow for updating the design to the Sun Plans in-house checklist and preparation of the the Custom Energy Specs.
- With the CAD files, many changes can be made to the design.
- With PDF's (part of the CAD file order), unlimited copies of the Construction Prints can be printed locally so long as they are used for building one home. PDF's are handy for sending to builders, mortgage companies, appraisers, home energy raters, and others who may be assisting with the planning and construction of the home such as the builder's subcontractors. Some building inspection departments require PDF.
- If consulting on changes is desired before the order is placed, then Adapt-A-SunPlan Consulting and Review Service is the process to take.
- The design professional may expand the house a couple of feet, change the exterior materials, move a bathroom, or rearrange interior walls and doors.
- The structural engineer may want to add engineering information such as rebar sizes and specific connections suitable for the local codes, soils, winds, snow or seismic activity.
- The builder may find it easier to perform take offs and layouts with this electronic version of construction prints.
- Home Energy Raters or HVAC subs creating duct work layouts can increase the speed and accuracy of their services.
- The CAD Files are designed to be used by an experienced residential design professional
- The standard method of preparing the CAD files is in AutoCAD 2000 DWG file type, with the files split into separate files. Approximately 95% of CAD file orders are prepared in this format. (Sun Plans can export to any version of AutoCAD between version 12 (released in 1992) and 2021, but 2000 is the default as that seems to be the most common one that design professionals can use including those with older versions of the software. It is not uncommon for other design professionals to use very old versions of AutoCAD.
- Can't use any of these CAD File types, but still want the local design professional to copy and redraw the design with changes? The Copyright Release that comes only with CAD Files allow for this. (Please see Copyright.)
- Special requests for all-in-one CAD files, DXF or AEC (DataCAD) files can be honored if advised within one business day of the order.
- Split CAD Files are divided into separate files - cover sheet, foundation, first floor, second floor, elevations, section, kitchen, wall detail, and detached garage as applicable. More than one of the printed sheet may be in each file. For instance, the fp1elect and fp1framing will also be in the fp1 file, but these are recommended to be printed separately as shown in the PDF files that come with the CAD Files.
- More questions? Have the design professional contact us.
The Dream Horse was born when a horse-loving couple decided to create their dream home. Doors and windows have been carefully placed to take advantage of the winter sun, balanced daylight and other views. The east-facing front porch and breakfast nook capture sunrises while the private master patio and bath capture the sunsets. Creating a central courtyard allows for more south glass than would normally be possible in larger one-story plans that can have dark inner spaces if they are not sun-inspired. The north wing of the home can be closed off for privacy or energy-savings
The central foyer with stone walls has ample space for welcoming several visitors at once. To the right is the large corridor that opens to the courtyard and leads to the garage and bedroom wing with an entertainment/exercise room. To the left of the foyer is the primary living side of the home. First the kitchen with the sunny breakfast area beyond, then the bright living and dining area with the stone-covered fireplace and bookcase wall. Around the corner is the study with French doors open to the great room on one side and the patio courtyard on the other. These areas can all view a TV placed on the bookcase wall.
The master bedroom on the private end of the house has an expansive south view from inside and west view from the patio with the optional hot tub that it not too far from the master bath. Close proximity to the laundry reduces the need to haul clothes through the house and the outside door provides quick access to the courtyard for sunbathing or drying of clothes.
A large garage with 10' wide doors can house large farm vehicles and plenty of surrounding workshop area to work on equipment. An optional carport shades the cars and provides a covered space for large cookouts without visually overpowering the house with a large garage. Its location provides easy access to the mudroom and basement as well as the front door.
Open, flat land with high winds dictated a low profile and the high water table from a nearby river prevented a full basement. The concrete slab on the entire south side of the home provides ample thermal mass to store the winter sun's heat and help keep the home cool in summer. North and center crawlspaces make accessing plumbing easier. The small basement could serve as a storm shelter or root cellar. Ten-foot-high walls support the flat, clear span trusses that help balance the large, open spaces. The south windows can then be raised to minimize the need for tempered glass low to the floor. Dropped ceiling areas for ductwork can help define spaces and add ceiling character.
Since these ideas may affect energy performance and structural integrity, they should only be undertaken with professional assistance.
- Flip the plan along the north-south axis for a sunny master bedroom in the morning, a sunny kitchen in the evening, and a sunset-viewing front porch
- Widen the courtyard in latitudes above 36° latitude so that more sun reaches the north wing windows
- Move the mudroom front door to the garage and add a washer & dryer there for families with kids at home
- Remove the north wing for smaller 2026 s.f. home
- Remove either the garage or carport to save construction costs
For this plan, the following are included with Construction Prints and CAD Files:
- Schematic Site Plan
- Combination Slab, Crawlspace & Basement Foundation Plan
- First Floor Plan with Attached Garage & Carport
- Exterior Elevations
- Building Section
- Kitchen Elevations
- Typical Wall Detail
- Schematic Electrical Plans
- Schematic Framing Plans
Janet chose the 3D services in helping them plan the home and then sent a few photos of the finished design that showed some minor changes made during construction which is the norm for building any home. The south wall of windows for both the main house and north wing was left in tack though.